News Archive
Fri 7 April 2006
This concept projector by LG is a flat-designed projector for wall-mounting purposes. It has a remote-controlled lens door, auto focus and zoom. The thin metal housing ensures it stays cool and at only 25db it's quiet as well. Capable of projecting up too 100" from upwards of 17 feet. LG's projector is still a concept design but has won a whole bunch of design awards already so with any luck it should make it onto shelves and then walls, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Fri 7 April 2006
'Tosh' FF1 in your luggage and enjoy Home Cinema in your hotel room.
Portable DVD / TV players have been around for ages but here's something for if you want to take it to the next level. Toshiba's tiny, palm-sized FF1 projector is battery powered and uses LEDs instead of the usual lamps, which means it has a lower energy consumption and so is more cost effective and kinder to mother nature. Battery life is thus quoted at two hours, just enough for your average feature length although you'll probably want to plug it in if you are going to watch a film as you get better brightness. It also comes with a foldable screen which improves image quality, offering better light reflection than just projecting onto a wall. Maximum image size is 68" diaganol and integrated into the projecter is also a built-in speaker to provide sound. As if this wasn't enough you can also plug in a USB memory key or your mobile phone, through a mini USB connection, to show people your photos and videos.
For around £630 you can buy it now.
More on home cinema:
10 Upgrades to your Home Cinema without spending a penny!
Fri 7 April 2006
More function but anymore useful? Origami as Media Center Extender
Microsoft's Origami UMPC will be able to act as a Media Center Extender, meaning you can wirelessly stream video and audio content to it in any room of your house. What's more it can be used as a remote control to manage all your Smart-Home systems i.e. lights, security, heating etc. Starting at £800 though there are more cost effective ways of getting what your want from your Smart-Home remote and all the power of a PC for the purposes of a remote may well be overkill. So the search for finding a real use for these UMPCs continues and the gap to fall through draws nearer!
Related articles:
UMPC: Revolutionary Gadget or Slipping through the Gaps?
Control Freq!
Thu 6 April 2006
This is a bit different for Grundig styling isn't it? I always thought Grundig just made value (thus ugly) TVs you could buy in places like Tesco. Perhaps the Ovation 2 marks a change of strategy for Grundig. Anyway, introducing the Ovation 2, this micro CD unit plays CDs, radio or direct playback from MP3 players through its USB connector. It pumps out 90W from its 'special loudspeaker configuration' consisting of: bass, 2 treble speakers and 3 mid-range speakers, each of which are housed in their own individual compartments complete with individual amplifiers.
For £200 with a penny change, perhaps Grundig are onto something here.
Related article:
Custom Install v. ‘Off-the-shelf’ home entertainment systems
